


The Naming of Things

by fleshlycherry



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-03
Updated: 2011-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 22:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleshlycherry/pseuds/fleshlycherry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where are they once <em>Sir</em> and <em>Carter</em> are gone?<br/>Written for a holiday fic exchange we had in our writing circle at uni, back in the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Naming of Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cilsheria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cilsheria/gifts).



> I didn't stay in SG-1 fandom until the very end. I have no idea if this has been Jossed since I wrote it. Probably :)

“Y’know, I’m retired now, Carter. You don’t have to call me ‘Sir’ anymore.”

“I know. It just takes some getting used to, Sir.”

“For cryin’ out loud Carter, just try will ya?”

“You’re retired now, _Jack_.” The stress she added to his name made it sound more like Sir than any honorific she had ever used. “You don’t have to call me Carter anymore either.”

He dragged his knuckles against his eyes. It was a gesture that made him look tired, like he might not be prepared if twenty hostile Jaffa came thundering out of the forest on the other side of his screened in porch.

“I’m an old man now, Carter.” He spoke as if reading her thoughts, and before she could protest, he continued, “I guess I always was though, next to you. And Daniel.”

She didn’t know what to say so she said nothing, pulling one knee up to her chin and sipping at the iced tea he had handed her almost immediately after she had gotten off her bike.

“Compared to Teal’c though,” She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he took a long swallow from the brown bottle in his hand before continuing, “Well then, I’m a spring chicken.”

She couldn’t contain the small laugh that forced itself past her lips. He turned to look at her then for the first time since they sat down, the lake and its hidden population of trout no longer capturing his attention. “I haven’t seen you smile in a long time.”

There was too much affection in his smile and she had to turn away. “We haven’t seen much of each other in the past few years.”

He gruffly cleared his throat, the lake suddenly fascinating again, “Lots to do, y’know. Lots to do.”

“I can’t imagine life would be dull as a presidential advisor.”

He snorted. “I’d imagined your imagination was better than that. It was boring Carter, boring with a capital B. All we did was sit around waiting for something to happen. I wasn’t exactly being kept in the lifestyle to which I’d become accustomed.”

Another bit of snark was balanced on the tip of his tongue, ready to leap out, but he swallowed it in favour of watching her finger circle the rim of her glass. She raised her eyes to watch a pair of chipmunks eat the seeds he had thrown out for them.

“I don’t know how to do this.” She said finally. It was the truth. She had never really thought this day would come, that they both would have managed to survive this long. That she would ever have to face the day when they would just be Sam and Jack.

“Why don’t we just sit for a while then?”

The tension in her shoulders eased just a bit. “We could do that.”


End file.
